As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
As space constraints increase, flex circuits may be used instead of heavier, bulkier wire harnesses to provide electrical connections between hardware components in an information handling system. Flex circuits may include one or more layers of, conductive metal foil laminated between flexible layers of an insulating material. Thin layers may be used to promote flexibility and, for most materials, the stiffness of a given layer will increase with thickness.
In addition to being lighter and smaller than wire harnesses or cables, flex circuits may also provide superior electrical and mechanical performance. A further advantage of flex circuits is that a wide range of interfaces may be used to connect a flex circuit to a component of an information handling system. For example, leads may be left bare so that they may slide into board mounted connectors. Additionally, connectors may be soldered or otherwise mechanically affixed directly to the traces within the flex circuit.